


apartment 203

by ifallgoeswrong



Series: burning seas and calm skies [1]
Category: One Direction (Band), Taylor Swift (Musician)
Genre: F/M, Its Just The Beginning, Past Relationship(s), Soulmates, There will be a part 2 if y'all want one, kind of fake/pretend relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-10
Updated: 2017-10-10
Packaged: 2019-01-08 06:10:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,488
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12248559
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ifallgoeswrong/pseuds/ifallgoeswrong
Summary: Moving to a brand-new city isn't that exciting as people make it out to be sometimes. Some people could tell you an exciting story of how they met their significant other. Then there was Louis, who just wanted a few cubes of sugar for his coffee and got thrown into the world of a young, blonde woman whether he liked it or not.





	apartment 203

**Author's Note:**

> uh so this happened. have fun reading. ;)

**New York City, New York**

Yellow taxicabs passing through intersections, looking like they were the only functioning transportation at this particular moment. Traffic lights changing their colours in a regular tact, just how they should be working. Among never ending traffic and people running through the streets like their life depends on it, is the weather not making it better. It is raining, the clouds look like a good mixture of grey cotton candy and never ending depression. The streets wet, big puddles forming on the sidewalk and the asphalt. Cars speeding through the dirty water like there is not a single soul outside, which turns out to be not the best day to wear white clothing for some people on that day.

It's not that colours matter to everyone, anyway. If someone finds themselves in a world without any red, blue and green tones at the age of eighteen, it means that said person has yet to find their significant other who could be anywhere in the world. There's a quote, reaching back into greek mythology that goes like, "According to Greek mythology, humans were originally created with four arms, four legs and a head with two faces. Fearing their power, Zeus split them into two separate parts, condemning them to spend their lives in search of their other halves.", and it's true.

 _Souls are damned to look for their other half, until then, it is them forbidden to see in any other colour than black and white. If two souls found each other, their ability to recognize every colour will immediately grow back, as their lips touch_. 

Today is really not the best day to move from another state to another with just some cartons full of your most valuable possessions, an handful amount of luck on your shoulders and a car that is living on at least 1/3 fuel. If it isn't for his friend and his family, Louis wouldn't even know about this section of New York City. He isn't that much of a downtown-person, so the apartment buildings are certainly not part of his interests or even his memory. Three months alone in a place he has never seen before can be fun. Or they could lead to the biggest-"listen to your heart not your god damn head"-mess he has ever found himself in. In that situation, life choose number two for him.

The heavy raindrops slithering down the car window are the only interesting thing about this trip, until now. Apart from weird country music which is playing on almost every radio station, there is nothing that Louis is bothering. Finally a moment of peace, his mind isn't screaming at him about how he could take a wrong turn and end up in Washington D.C or even worse, Boston. He can enjoy a moment of peace, even though it is filled with Dolly Parton and Carrie Underwood yelling into his ear. Glancing at his gas meter, he turns the music down and bends over the steering wheel to look out for a gas station. Definitely would not be the greatest choice to drive through New York with a dangerous-almost-empty tank. Luck's on his side today, a few meters ahead there is one waiting for him. He can rest for at least five minutes, until he's already thirty minutes late for meeting up with his friend, Ken. Perhaps he's not as angry in person as in the text messages he sent to Louis while he was having a quick toilet break. A man has his needs. It is certainly not his fault that he had to let go of body fluids because of the litres of water he drank when he first started his trip to New York. Surely not his fault. Not his fault. Mixed feelings are added, when his phone switches from home screen to an incoming call. He doesn't even have to look at it, to know who's the one, angrily staring at the phone screen, waiting for Louis to pick up.

So he does, just like a good driver, taking the call on the device in his car, after he refuelled the tank just minutes before. Eyes fixed on the street, ears, to his misfortune - fixed on Ken's voice.

"Louis. I swear to everything above, if you're not here in the following-"

"Kennyboy! What a lovely surprise that you're calling me! I'm in the car so you better make it quick." The feeling of someone rolling their eyes at you is sensible over the phone, if Louis is honest. He just knows. 

"Don't- call me that. I bribed the taxi driver to wait with me for you, should I give him another fifty bucks? Or are you planning to come, after all?" After Louis hears mumbling coming from the other end that goes like _I wouldn't mind another fifty_ , he chuckles and continues his very believing excuse that he fully thought of, obviously.

"Listen, I'll be at yours as fast as I can. And I'm really sorry, my car ran out of gas and I had to take a few stops.", He slows down to find a parking lot, "It's not that easy to drive from Indiana to New York, Mr. I-Need-A-Three-Months-Vacation-And-Probably-Have-A-Privat-Jet-In-My-Garage. So if you could soften your voice, it would be great for both of us. Thank you." He unbuckles his seatbelt and ends the call to make an extra dramatic appearance in front of Ken. Louis has always been one of the dramatic ones. What can he say though, he loves drama and drama loves him right back. Who doesn't? Thanks to his navigator, by the way. He did a great job. He steps out of the car, shoving and pulling on his clothes, like he hasn't stood up in days, even though it hasn't been an hour since he did.

"I could trash your whole car right in front of your eyes, Louis. Right in front of you." Ken's British accent hasn't faded a bit. Louis thinks he should embrace it anyways, _the_   _Americans and their stupid accents_ , he adds in his head. "Do you really think you could handle three months on your own?"

"You know I'm not always like that. I promise I'll take care of your amazing apartment, which's keys you're going to give me right now, right?", before he finds an end of his sentence, he extends and shows Ken the palm of his hand. The blonde looks like he's about to end his and Louis' life right there and now, but just smiles and let the keys fall into Louis' hands.

"All yours now. For three months. I left you notes."

"How generous of you. Thank you so much. Without your great notes I wouldn't know how to use a washing machine."

As Ken shoved himself back into the backseat of the cab, he completes his sentence, ignoring Louis'. "Make sure that Beth gets her favourite food every day."

"I get it, crazy cat man." With that, he waves good-bye, leaving Louis alone and unimpressed on the sidewalk. Good god, these situations would fit right into a movie about some man getting murdered in an apartment. He's all here for it. At least no more chores from the rich kid Ken. Louis regrets befriending him sometimes. After having an inner monologue with himself of why it would be a good choice to get murdered in downtown New York, he's ready to put everything that has at least a little meaning to him, in this apartment. Apartment 202.

-

"So I guess you're Beth." Ken's white cat is wandering in between Louis' legs, pressing her head against his ankles and then resting in front of his feet. Louis kneels down, giving the cat a few strokes on her head and chin. "At least you're not some huge Labradoodle like I've got at my place." The cat suddenly lost interest in Louis, almost like she could understand Louis' words and hear that he is talking about his dog, Clifford. The little bell around her neck jingles as she leaves the corridor and moves into another room, probably the living room. Luckily he finished bringing his stuff up a few moments ago, a few ounces of stress falling off his shoulders. His gaze falls on the room across, the door was left open ajar, giving away a small hint of what probably is the kitchen. The counters are red, shining from the given light outside. The curtains are pushed back to the sides, wrapping the room in pure daylight.

Louis first instinct is to make himself a warm cup of tea.

But of course, Ken is Ken. He doesn't have the tea Louis loves. Even though the blonde knew that he would take over his apartment for a few months, no tea. Complaining isn't going to give Louis his tea, so he settles on some coffee. Simple coffee that is just in need of some sugar, which Ken is also in need of. The note on the side of the fridge says something like _if you're in need of anything, go shopping or ask the neighbour next door._ Well, thank you. That helps a lot. He's definitely getting murdered today. However, if Ken says it is the best way to ask some stranger for some sugar cubes for his coffee then that's what he is going to do. Coffee without sugar is like milk without cereal. Just weird.

He cups the keys in his left hand, pulling the door shut behind him. Pushing all negative thoughts of knocking at a strangers' door aside, he actually does it and waits a couple of seconds, only to hear someone start screaming. Yup, that's how he's going to die. Of all the things that could be happening he doesn't actually expect the door to open, but after ten seconds or less, two pairs of blue eyes are looking into the other. Or grey, speaking of Louis place of view. He couldn't even form a sentence in his head, before the soft voice of his counterpart breaks the silence with a careful whisper.

"Do you need anything or is this a prank that went wrong?" Her full red lips pressing down on each other, tongue playing with her inner cheek.

"Just some sugar for my daily dose of caffeine. I won't bother you again for a week or so, I can promise you that." The woman sighs, more likely a sigh of ease than of annoyance. She steps back to make room for Louis, who is smiling politely at the blonde. Louis looks over his shoulder as she closes the door behind him. "I'm taking care of Ken's place. Or maybe you know him under Mr. Montgomery."

"I figured. Never saw you before and Ken told me that he'll be away for a few months. We're actually close friends.", drawing out the s of friends. She leads Louis to the kitchen, opening a cupboard right after. The first thing Louis notices are the adorable curtains which had little hearts embroidered on them. Next to the window finds a potted plant its place. "Thats why I let you in, by the way. Do you think I'd let a stranger asking for sugar _cubes_ into my apartment?"

"You're likeable. I'll drink my coffee here at yours. Also, what's wrong with sugar cubes? You literally have some, too." Before the young woman could answer Louis' really stupid question the door rings, again.

"Did you invite someone else? Because I didn't." She puts the water boiler down, leaving Louis with a questioning look on his face. He darts up from his chair as soon as he hears a manly voice angered and ready to trash this place, coming from the hallway. Said man walks right past Louis, stopping in the living room and searching for something, but not sure what.

"Josh, how many times do I have to tell you that it's over between us? You were the one that choose to cheat on me!" The man who also could pass as a god damn skyscraper on steroids seems to be laughing at himself, looking at the woman and then on the floor again. Louis hides until it's the right time to break the tension in the room down the hall. His head is peaking out from the kitchen, at least thats what someone would see if they'd be looking down the corridor. Mr. skyscraper looks at the blonde woman again.

"Taylor, I don't know how many I have to apologise for that. I still love you!"

"Apologies can't undo you having sex with some random girl at a party! Its over! Should I spell it out for you? Or can you do it by yourself, like you tried to hide your little affair?" Josh takes a step forward, however, before anything bad could happen, Louis comes out of his "hiding place", puts an arm around Taylor and looks at Josh with darting eyes.

Not only that he doesn't get a reaction from Josh at fist, he turns his head to Taylor and takes it one step further. He presses his soft lips onto the blonde's, closing his eyes for a moment. For a moment he feels Taylor kissing him back, making him feel warm and loved again. His stomach drops, as he opens them up, his breathing stopping for a matter of seconds.

"I get it. I do. I really tried to make this work, Taylor." Louis' gaze is changing from looking at the blonde to Josh, with his heart pounding like crazy in his chest.

"Get out of my fucking apartment. I never want to see you again." The sudden outburst of Taylor could mean two things; firstly she is really pissed off. Secondly, she's experiencing the same as Louis: she looked into eyes full of colour, the prettiest blue she could have ever imagined, like when the sea meets the sky.

In this case, Louis is the burning sea and Taylor is the calm sky.

Josh leaves without saying anything else. As the door slams shut, blue eyes pierce through Louis' whole body.

"I'm sorry for kissing you out of nowhere." Louis plays with his ring finger, rubbing with his thumb over the blue gemstone on the ring he wears since he was eighteen and lost his ability to see in colour. He completely forgot how pretty it is.

"And I'm sorry for screaming like a crazy person." She sits down on the couch, pushing the pillows aside and still looking at the man in front of her. The man in front of her... interrupts her thoughts by asking a simple question. A question that is too long in her mind to just be simple. It could change her life for the better. Or for worse.

"Do you see in colour again?"

"When I opened my eyes I could see anything I've ever imagined in yours." 


End file.
